Lev. 19:1,28- The Lord also said to Moses, Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord you God, am holy. Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord!

Now I know as I attempt to address this issue that many people will be divided in their opinion and that is ok. My heart in this is to reveal the instruction given in the Word of God and give young people an opportunity to clearly know what God’s heart on this issue is in a day where it is “cool” to go out and get a tattoo. By no means can this little blog cover all facets but can sure cause us to examine our convictions on this matter.

1. Holiness- God is telling us to be holy like Him. He is the standard of holy and He is telling us that He would never mark Himself or try to add to who He is. Tattooing your body is making a permanent addition to the way God created you. It is saying that you are not good enough in your natural state of His image and likeness.

2. Paganism- tattoos have their roots in pagan culture and demon worship. The places that glorify it the most are the places that have worshipped demons for literal millenniums and carry on that legacy through tattoos. The beginning of vs. 28 addresses a similar pagan ritual of cutting your body for the dead. God is addressing pagan culture and demon worship with this command.

3. Example- we are supposed to be salt and light in the world and when we are doing to our bodies the same as Hell’s Angels, Brittany Spears, Tommy Lee, and every other demonic icon in today’s society then we should ask ourselves how being like them is producing salt and light!

Now having said these things, I would like to say that I do not believe anyone is going to hell over a tattoo. If you have one then you are not doomed. There are many awesome Christians that have tattoos but I would implore them and anyone contemplating a new or additional tattoo to read God’s direct instructions given in His Word. Yea, some people say that it was OT, but if the God I serve gives an instruction like He did in this verse then I am going to obey it. Some have made it a cultural issue, but I would challenge you to study the roots of this practice and see how the hip hop culture has made something once taboo in Christian circles something that is now “cool” and “sexy”. Since when do we excuse and IGNORE God’s Word in order to be cool and sexy?

Bottom line: this is an issue that must be made black and white. How many tattoos are too much? How big a tattoo is not right? What is the fruit of getting a tattoo? What would make someone want to mark themselves for life with something God didn’t create them with? I leave you with a tweet from Brian Houston, the Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church Australia that very lightly yet firmly conveys his belief on this topic:
3 things I have a goal NEVER to do! 1. Parachute 2. Bungy Jump 3. Get a tattoo!